USA is finally out of Afghanistan

[Meengla]

Things are moving fast! Per an Aljazeera Western reporter guy, American drone struck a vehicle with ISIS suicide bombers in them heading to the Kabul Airport and he said that Taliban are 'unable' to stop such things and are 'relying' on American support to take out ISIS.

Also, Pakistan's own Indus News has just posted this video--one of the rare (and neglected) English channels from Pakistan. Such a shame on that count.
So according to this lady--who, btw, has access to a lot of info because of the implicit trust the Taliban have in Pakistan and by being on the ground. The lady is saying that Americans 'want to leave tonight' and that some civilians maybe left behind because focus is on destroying documents/equipments and getting the troops out. She is also implying, as the Al Jazeera reporter, that there is possible collaboration between the Taliban and Americans to take out ISIS. She is also saying that Panjshir residents are fed up and that right now the negotiations are going on about how many Afghan provinces to be given to the Panjshir group.

Here is the video. Brave journalist!

 

[ghazi52]

US officials have now said the operation - an air strike involving a drone - targeted a suicide bomber in a vehicle who was aiming to carry out an attack at Kabul airport.

"We are confident we hit the target we were aiming for," a military official told the BBC's US partner network CBS.

"Initial reports indicate there were no civilian casualties," the official said, adding: "Secondary explosions from the vehicle indicated the presence of a substantial amount of explosive material."

A spokesman for the Taliban also said the US airstrike had targeted a suspected bomber travelling in a car, according to the Associated Press.

It comes after witnesses reported a rocket strike near the airport, although it is not clear if the two incidents are connected.

 

[ghazi52]

US in final phase of Kabul evacuations as Taliban say ready to take over airport

Reuters
August 29, 2021

A US Marine checks a woman as she goes through the Evacuation Control Centre during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Kabul, Afghanistan on August 28. — Reuters


US forces are in the final phase of leaving Kabul, ending two decades of involvement in Afghanistan, and just over 1,000 civilians at the airport remain to be flown out before troops withdraw, a Western security official said on Sunday.

The country's new Taliban rulers are prepared to take control of the airport, said an official from the group that has swept across Afghanistan, crushing the US-backed government.
The Western security official, who asked not to be identified, told Reuters a date and time for the end of the operation was yet to be decided.

President Joe Biden has said he will stick by his deadline to withdraw all US troops from Afghanistan by Tuesday, 20 years after they invaded Kabul and ousted the Taliban government for shielding the perpetrators of the September 11, 2001 attacks.

"We want to ensure that every foreign civilian and those who are at risk are evacuated today. Forces will start flying out once this process is over," said the official, who is stationed at the airport.

The Western-backed government and Afghan army melted away as the Taliban entered the capital on August 15, leaving an administrative vacuum that has bolstered fears of a financial collapse and widespread hunger.

Under a deal with the United States, the Taliban have said they will allow foreigners and Afghans who wish to leave to fly out. The United States and its allies have taken about 113,500 people out of Afghanistan in the past two weeks, but tens of thousands who want to go will be left behind.

A US official told Reuters on Saturday there were fewer than 4,000 troops left at the airport, down from 5,800 at the peak of the evacuation mission. Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby told reporters some troops had been withdrawn but declined to say how many remained.

The Taliban official told Reuters the group had engineers and technicians ready to take charge of the airport.

"We are waiting for the final nod from the Americans to secure full control over Kabul airport as both sides aim for a swift handover," the official said on condition of anonymity.

The Western security official said crowds at the airport gates had diminished after a specific warning from the US government of another attack by militants after a suicide bombing outside the airport on Thursday.

The explosion killed scores of Afghans and 13 American troops outside the gates of the airport, where thousands of Afghans had gathered to try to get a flight out since the Taliban returned to power.

The United States said on Friday it killed two militants belonging to the Islamic State — enemies of both the West and Afghanistan's new Taliban rulers — which had claimed responsibility for the attack.

Biden had vowed to hunt down the perpetrators of the explosion and said the strike was not the last.


Taking over

The Taliban condemned the late-night US drone strike, which took place in Nangarhar province, an eastern area that borders Pakistan.

"The Americans should have informed us before conducting the airstrike. It was a clear attack on Afghan territory," a Taliban spokesman told Reuters, adding that two women and a child were wounded in the attack.

The Taliban have said they have arrested some suspects involved in the airport blast.
Spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on Saturday the Taliban would take over the airport "very soon" after US forces withdraw and announce a full cabinet in the coming days.


Mujahid told Reuters the group had appointed governors and police chiefs in all but one of Afghanistan's 34 provinces and would act to solve the country's economic problems.

The Taliban, facing the loss of billions of dollars of aid for the country, appealed to the United States and other Western nations to maintain diplomatic relations after withdrawing. Britain said that should happen only if the Taliban allow safe passage for those who want to leave and respect human rights.

US military and allied countries' flights carried fewer people on Saturday as Washington prepared to end its mission.

The last British flight evacuating civilians from Afghanistan left Kabul on Saturday. British troops would take small numbers of Afghan citizens with them as they leave this weekend, a defence ministry spokesperson said. Armed forces chief Nick Carter said hundreds of people who had worked with Britain would not make it through.

While Kabul's airport has been in chaos, the rest of the city has been generally calm. The Taliban have told residents to hand over government equipment including weapons and vehicles within a week, the group's spokesman said.

The airport attack added fuel to criticism Biden faced at home and abroad for the chaos after Afghanistan's government and military collapsed before a lightning Taliban advance. He has defended his decisions, saying the United States long ago achieved its rationale for invading in 2001.

 

[ghazi52]

Taliban to form new cabinet as U.S. evacuation nears end

The Taliban said on Saturday they were preparing a new cabinet as the U.S. evacuation nears its end and they expected that sharp currency falls and economic turmoil following their takeover of Kabul two weeks ago would subside.

Zabihullah Mujahid, the movement’s main spokesman, made the comments to Reuters as the U.S. military winds down its mission to evacuate U.S. citizens and vulnerable Afghans and withdraw troops from Kabul airport ahead of the Aug. 31 deadline set by President Joe Biden.

Mujahid condemned an overnight U.S. drone strike against Islamic State militants following Thursday’s suicide attack near the airport as a “clear attack on Afghan territory”.

But he appealed to the United States and other Western nations to maintain diplomatic relations after their withdrawal, which he expected would be completed “very soon”.

The exact timing of the formation of a new cabinet remained unclear. Reuters originally quoted Mujahid as saying the announcement would be made in the coming week, but in a voice message later he said the makeup of the new cabinet would be cleared “in one or two weeks”.

Responding to a question about whether any women would be included in the new cabinet, he said this would be a matter for the leadership to decide and he could not anticipate what their decision would be.

There is mounting frustration in Kabul at the severe economic hardship caused by a plummeting currency and rising food prices, with banks still shuttered two weeks after the fall of the city to the Taliban.

On Saturday, a statement from the Taliban said that banks were ordered to reopen with a weekly limit on withdrawals of $200 or 20,000 afghanis.

Mujahid said officials had already been appointed to run key institutions including the ministries of public health and education and the central bank.

United Nations officials have warned that Afghanistan faces a humanitarian catastrophe, with large parts of the country suffering from extreme drought conditions.

The economy, shattered after four decades of war, also faces the loss of billions of dollars in foreign aid, following the withdrawal of Western embassies from the country.

Mujahid said the economic problems being experienced would be eased once the new government was in place.

“The fall of Afghani against foreign currency is temporary and it is because of the situation that suddenly changed, it will come back to normal once the government system starts functioning,” he said.

Courtesy: Reuters

 

[ghazi52]

The Taliban has asked Turkey to run Kabul airport providing it retains control of security there, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said.

"What does the Taliban say with regard to the airport issue? They say 'give us the security but you operate it'," he said in comments published by the official Andalou news agency.

"How come we hand you over the security? Let's say you took over the security, but how would we explain to the world if another bloodbath took place there? It's not an easy job."

He added that he would make a decision about whether or not Turkey could run the airport "once calm prevails".

However it has seemed less and less likely that Turkey will agree to do so since Wednesday, when it began to withdraw its approximately 500 non-combat troops from Afghanistan.

 

[Meengla]

The Taliban has asked Turkey to run Kabul airport providing it retains control of security there, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said.

The request to let Turkey manage the Kabul Airport is apparently being rescinded by the Taliban because Taliban now think they have necessary technical resources to do so. Watch this interview of the Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Majahid --it not only addresses the Airport issue but a LOT more than that and shows the shape of things to come. The Taliban media team is very savvy!!

 

[ghazi52]

US carry out air strike on explosive-laden car in Kabul after terror warning

AFP
Sunday, Aug 29, 2021

Footage on TV and social media showed black smoke rising in the area. — Screengrab from video courtesy BBC/Shafi Karimi

KABUL: The United States said it destroyed an explosive-laden vehicle with an air strike in Kabul Sunday, hours after President Joe Biden warned of another terror attack in the capital as a massive airlift of tens of thousands of Afghans entered its last days.

A Taliban spokesman confirmed the incident, saying a car bomb destined for the airport had been destroyed — and that a possible second strike had hit a nearby house.
The US said it had only struck the vehicle, but added that secondary blasts indicated "a substantial amount of explosive material".

Local media reported there may have been civilian casualties, which the US said it was assessing.
The strike comes after a suicide bomber from the Daesh militant group on Thursday targeted US troops stopping huge crowds of people from entering Kabul's airport, from where about 114,000 people have been evacuated since August 15 when the Taliban swept back into power.
More than 100 people died in the attack, including 13 US service personnel, slowing down the airlift ahead of Biden's deadline for evacuations to end by Tuesday.

The operation is winding down despite Western powers saying thousands may be left behind.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said some 300 Americans still in Afghanistan were seeking to leave the country.

"They are not going to be stuck," he told ABC, adding the US had "a mechanism to get them out".
The Pentagon said Saturday that retaliation drone strikes had killed two "high-level" Daesh militants in eastern Afghanistan, but Biden warned of more attacks from the group.
"The situation on the ground continues to be extremely dangerous, and the threat of terrorist attacks on the airport remains high," Biden said.

"Our commanders informed me that an attack is highly likely in the next 24-36 hours."

The US embassy in Kabul later released a warning of credible threats at specific areas of the airport, including access gates.

In recent years, the local chapter of Daesh has been responsible for some of the deadliest attacks in Afghanistan.

They have massacred civilians at mosques, public squares, schools, and even hospitals.

Unthinkable co-operation

The Daesh attack has forced the US military and the Taliban into a form of cooperation to ensure security at the airport that was unthinkable two weeks ago.

On Saturday, Taliban fighters escorted a steady stream of Afghans from buses to the main passenger terminal, handing them over to US forces for evacuation.

The troops were seen throughout the civilian side of the airport grounds and annexe buildings, while US Marines peered at them from the passenger terminal roof.

After a 20-year war, the foes were within open sight of each other, separated by just 30 metres.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said US troops had started withdrawing — without saying how many were left.

Biden was on Sunday headed to an air force base in Delaware, where the remains of the servicemen killed in Kabul have been transferred, to attend a ceremony and meet with the victims' families.


'Heartbreaking'

Western allies that helped with the airlift have mostly already ended their flights, with some voicing despair at not being able to fly out everyone at risk.

The head of Britain's armed forces, General Sir Nick Carter, told the BBC it was "heartbreaking" that "we haven't been able to bring everybody out".

A White House official said 2,900 people were evacuated in a 24-hour period between Saturday and Sunday, a drastic reduction from earlier in the week.

Two Afghan athletes were able to leave last weekend and spent a week in France before a "major global operation" took them to Japan for the Tokyo Paralympics.

There was an emotional welcome for Zakia Khudadadi and Hossain Rasouli at the athletes' village on Saturday night.

"There were lots of tears from everyone in the room," said International Paralympic Committee spokesman Craig Spence.

French President Emmanuel Macron said talks had begun with the Taliban to "protect and repatriate" at-risk Afghan nationals beyond Tuesday.

 

[ghazi52]

France and Britain will on Monday urge the United Nations to work for the creation of a "safe zone" in Kabul to protect humanitarian operations, he said.

The UN said it was bracing for a "worst-case scenario" of up to half a million more refugees from Afghanistan by the end of 2021.

At the airport, gone are the crowds of thousands mobbing the perimeter, hoping to be let through and allowed onto a plane.
The Taliban have now sealed off roads leading to the facility and are only letting sanctioned buses pass.

 

[Meengla]

United Nations to work for the creation of a "safe zone" in Kabul to protect humanitarian operations, he said.

It works for Taliban. With no one else wanting to put 'boots on the ground' for any 'security' matters, the one and only force left is Taliban for such tasks. They will ask for $$ which is not unreasonable given that instead of governing the country, they will be tasked with security for evacuations as well as to fight Daesh. Speaking of which.. I hear that Taliban have accepted the American account that America bombed the vehicle carrying Daesh suicide bomber vehicle to the Kabul Airport. That speaks of deep collaboration between the two entities. What is even more interesting is that, so far, Taliban have not protested about the bombing of the vehicle.
Anyway, the way things are moving so far, it's hard to tell.

 

[ghazi52]

US will have ‘no right’ to launch attacks in Afghanistan after Aug 31, say Taliban

Web Desk
Sunday, Aug 29, 2021

Taliban's spokesperson Suhail Shaheen.


KABUL: Washington will have "no right" to carry out attacks in Afghanistan after August 31, said the spokesman for the Taliban's political office, Suhail Shaheen, on Sunday while reacting to the US drone strike in Nangarhar province, Geo News reported.

The United States had launched a drone strike against a Daesh attack "planner" in eastern Afghanistan, the military had said on Friday, a day after a suicide bombing at Kabul airport killed 13 US troops and scores of Afghan civilians, according to Reuters.


Responding to a question if the US had carried out the drone strike with the Taliban’s consent, Suhail Shaheen said that the Taliban-led government will stop any such attack in Afghanistan after August 31. He said this while talking during Geo News programme "Naya Pakistan".

R
Meanwhile, the Taliban’s main spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid condemned an overnight US drone strike against Daesh militants following Thursday's suicide attack near th
e airport, calling it a "clear attack on Afghan territory", Reuters reported.
He was of the view that the US should have informed them before the attack.

Talking about the new cabinet, Mujahid said the announcement would be made in the coming week, but in a voice message later, he said the makeup of the new cabinet would be cleared "in one or two weeks".

Responding to a question about whether any women would be included in the new cabinet, he said this would be a matter for the leadership to decide and he could not anticipate what their decision would be.


US drone strike targets Daesh

Earlier, the US had launched a drone strike against a Daesh attack "planner" in eastern Afghanistan, the military said on Friday.

President Joe Biden had vowed on Thursday that the United States would hunt down those responsible for the attack, saying he had ordered the Pentagon to come up with plans to strike at the perpetrators.

US Central Command had said the strike took place in Nangarhar province, east of Kabul and bordering Pakistan, according to Reuters.

"Initial indications are that we killed the target. We know of no civilian casualties," a US military statement had said. It did not say whether the target was connected with the airport attack.

A US official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, had said the strike was against a Daesh militant planning future attacks.

 

[Meengla]

In the last few weeks, the biggest question in my mind has been what will be the American posture in Afghanistan post the exodus. To be involved directly or indirectly via either being anti-Taliban or accept them? This is a dichotomy and almost it's Either or Or. It is the reverse of 'Either with us, or against us' dichotomy from almost 2 decades ago!!! Irony!!

But it's too bad that most journalists, especially Western ones, have not focused on that aspect of this war which seems to be coming to an end at least for this phase. Speaking of the dichotomy, Americans could either evacuate and then declare someone like the Panjshir resistance as the legit govt. or even a govt in exile and start supporting them militarily. It would be an anti-China govt to keep China 'busy' and, by extension, anti-Pakistan govt. Half the world would go along with that. With hired-guns, much-less $$ to spend than before, and much less chance to be hurt Americans, that would have been a possibility.

OR... Americans would swallow the bitter pill and let Pakistan manage Afghanistan through the Taliban as far as keeping entities like ISIS in check. Understand that the narrative for the last several weeks has been too focused on women's rights etc, on which I am firmly with the global community, including most Pakistanis. I posted a Saleem Safi vide above, in which the Taliban guy hints at banning music and even poetry in Afghanistan. I don't think I could ever support such ugliness!!

But still the focus of the discourse over the last few weeks SHOULD have been what course of action Americans are going to take. And now, it appears, Americans are resigned to let the Taliban run Afghanistan. What this video. Blinken is clearly hinting at offering 'very significant incentives' to Taliban in the 'weeks and months ahead' and that 'land' access to allow people to leave when the Kabul Airport shuts down on September 1.

@VCheng ?? @FuturePAF

 

[VCheng]

But still the focus of the discourse over the last few weeks SHOULD have been what course of action Americans are going to take.

Yes, but PDF may not be a suitable forum to have such a discussion, at least for the hoi polloi like me. I will leave it to the favored ones to take this up further, lest I get thread banned or worse.

 

[Meengla]

Rebels hold out in Afghan valley as Taliban set up government in Kabul

Taliban forces and fighters loyal to local leader Ahmad Massoud battled in Afghanistan's Panjshir Valley on Thursday, more than two weeks after the Islamist militia seized power, as Taliban leaders in the capital, Kabul, worked to form a government.

www.reuters.com

Rockets target U.S. troops as Afghanistan withdrawal enters final stage


Aug 30 (Reuters) - U.S. anti-missile defences intercepted as many as five rockets that were fired at Kabul's airport early on Monday, a U.S. official said, as the United States rushed to complete its withdrawal from Afghanistan to end its longest war.

Having evacuated about 114,400 people, including foreign nationals and Afghans deemed "at risk", in an effort that began a day before Kabul fell to the Taliban on Aug. 15, U.S. and allied forces are set to complete their own withdrawal by a Tuesday deadline agreed with the Islamist militants.

The number of U.S. troops at the airport had fallen below 4,000 over the weekend, as departures became more urgent after an Islamic State suicide bomb attack outside the gates on Thursday killed scores of Afghans and 13 U.S. troops.

Afghan media said Monday's rocket attack was launched from the back of a vehicle. The Pajhwok news agency said several rockets struck different parts of the Afghan capital.

 

[Falconless]

American troops crying after their CO asks them to maintain discipline

An army of Karens

defence.pk

 

[Asian.Century]

Correct.
$85 were spent on 'security' related matters: Training, equipment, contractor fees over TWENTY years. Some of which got destroyed in the conflict. Or had expired. Or gone bad. Also, a bulk was NOT on purchasing equipment bur for services. These wars are a big business in America!! BIG BUSINESS! Various security companies provide 'services' and 'personnel' at exorbitantly high prices and the money mostly ends back in America either to the weapon manuf. or to the security companies. Eventually into the politicians. It's 'jobs' and 'economic activity' in different Congressmen/Senators constituencies. I live in the American South and I kid you not it seems like every 3 or 4 household has a 'veteran' living off taxpayers money without ever even been remotely near the 'combat'. I knew a very close friend in US Navy. Never ever remotely saw any conflict or saw any 'danger'. Was deployed all over the world in cushy office jobs. And retired as a 'veteran' with a chunk of 'benefits'. She is still a very dear friend to me. One day, on my deathbed, I may narrate her story keeping her anonymity. Just follow the money and you will arrive at the right place. But I digress!

So... as for the equipment the Taliban have. I don't think even $10 billion at max. A lot of valuables were already taken out or destroyed when Americans started to leave. Then a chunk ended up in Uzbekistan when the northern front melted away. Per my understanding, Americans didn't trust the Afghan National Army much and so not a lot was left with them as Americans were leaving. Contrast to that, the Soviets left behind tanks, heavy artillery, substantial air assets---and that's partly why Najibullah govt last 3 years after the Soviet withdrawal.

Yes it clearly is a cover up by Contractors, Defence Companies, Corrupt American officials to say $85 billion at the hands of Taliban, in reality it is not more than $10 billion. It is a big lie to cover up for own corruption.

Can Taliban confirm this $85 billion amount?